George Washington’s Continental Army spent the winter encampment of 1777–1778 at Valley Forge in Pennsylvania.
The army arrived at Valley Forge on December 19, 1777, after British forces captured Philadelphia. Washington selected the site because its high ground offered a defensible position between the British army and the Continental Congress, which had relocated to York, Pennsylvania. The encampment lasted until June 19, 1778.
Approximately 12,000 people, including soldiers and camp followers, lived there during the winter. The army faced serious shortages of food, clothing, shoes, and other supplies. Disease and inadequate provisions caused nearly 2,000 deaths, although popular images often exaggerate the role of extreme cold and snow.
Valley Forge was not a battle, and the army did not remain there permanently. Training under Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben improved discipline and battlefield organization. When the army left in June, it was better prepared for the campaigns that followed, including the Battle of Monmouth in New Jersey.